Denver Broncos kicker Brandon McManus kicks a field goal during the first quarter against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Jan. 17, 2016, at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. (Helen Richardson, The Denver Post)

Brandon McManus stepped out into a relatively warm winter day in Sports Authority Field on Sunday during pre-game, basking under sunny skies and no wind — a kicker’s dream, especially in the playoffs.

Then, just before kickoff against the Pittsburgh Steelers, the weather shifted … considerably.

“That’s the hardest wind I’ve kicked in,” McManus told The Denver Post. “It wasn’t there during warmups, and I come out seven minutes before kickoff and I see 30 mph crosswinds. Sometimes when the wind is out there, you just kind of hit it to a spot and hopefully it goes through.

“So obviously I had to learn quickly what I was going to do.”

At kickoff, the official weather report showed temperatures of 43 degrees with wind out of the northwest at 9 mph, gusting to 16 mph. But it grew only worse as the game went on.

McManus proved a quick study. He converted all five attempts — including one from 51 yards just before halftime that got the Broncos to within one point of the Steelers and also tied Jason Elam for the second-longest kick made in Broncos playoff history.

Joey Porter, a former Colorado State star and current linebackers coach for the Pittsburgh Steelers. (Gene J. Puskar, The Associated Press)

When the Steelers left Cincinnati with a wild-card victory in hand, the hope was everyone would look ahead and not back. A date with the Broncos in Denver awaited them and there was little time to focus on The Meltdown and the words exchanged.

There was little time to address all the questions.

But Steelers coach Mike Tomlin was asked to do just that Tuesday, as local media peppered him with inquiries about the win, the health of quarterback Ben Roethlisberger (shoulder) and receiver Antonio Brown (concussion), and why, why linebackers coach Joey Porter was on the field in the final seconds.

Tomlin answered a couple — Roethlisberger has “a chance” to play Sunday and will be managed “day-to-day,” and Brown is in the concussion protocol, but the Steelers are “hopeful.”

But when it came to Porter, whose on-field presence provoked Cincinnati’s Adam Jones, Tomlin wasn’t as candid.

“This is what I’m going to do about all of that, so that we can move on. I think it’s appropriate,” Tomlin said. “Cincinnati is afforded the opportunity to sit around days after the game and rehash what happened. We’re not afforded that opportunity. We have a challenge, a formidable one, waiting on us in Denver. I said what I said after the game, I thought it appropriately summarized the play. We have respect for those guys. We understood what was at stake for them and us. It was a tough, hard-fought game against familiar opponents. It’s just part of football. We’re moving on, we have to. We can’t waste one iota of time living in the past, it’s not going to help us beat the Denver Broncos. So, I’m not going to address it in any way because addressing it just leads to another question, whether it’s to me or someone who plays for us. And that’s not going to help us this week. So, I’ll respectfully decline any of those questions. I’m sure it’s interesting for you guys, there’s not enough ball going on this time of year. So, you’ll continue to chew it, but we’re not going to participate.”Read more…

Adam Jones (24) of the Cincinnati Bengals looks on during the AFC Wild Card Playoff game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Paul Brown Stadium on Jan. 9, 2016 in Cincinnati. (Dylan Buell, Getty Images)

Cincinnati’s Adam “Pacman” Jones said he will apologize to Pittsburgh’s Antonio Brown only if Brown sits out Sunday’s game against the Broncos.

In an interview with Jets (and former Broncos) wide receiver Brandon Marshall for “Inside the NFL,” Jones talked about Bengals’ Vontaze Burfict’s hit on Brown in the fourth quarter of what would be Cincy’s loss in the wild-card round.

“I will (apologize) if he don’t play,” Jones said in the interview. “But you know and I know that when Saturday get here, all that is going out the window.

“… He will be cleared Friday, I promise you 24 hours before the game.”

It started with Jeremy Hill’s fumble, which was followed by a helmet-to-helmet hit by Vontaze Burfict on Steelers receiver Antonio Brown, who was knocked out cold in mid-air before being diagnosed with a concussion. The loss of 15 penalty yards was doubled when Bengals cornerback Adam “Pacman” Jones got into with it Steelers outside linebackers coach Joey Porter.

In less than two minutes, the Bengals saw their lead and any remaining composure fade away, along with their season.

But emotions didn’t die down with the final whistle. Jones took to his Instagram account after to lambaste the referees and “Jerry Porter” in a profanity-laced tirade that he later took down.

“The (expletive) ref did a horrible (expletive) job,” Jones said in the now-deleted video. “You got (expletive) Jerry Porter in the middle of the (expletive) field talking (expletive) to everybody and then when somebody says something to him … he isn’t even supposed to be on the (expletive) field.”

While a guest on The Dan Patrick Show on Monday, Jones explained the fallout and his altercation with Porter and went on to claim Brown faked an injury after the hit by Burfict.

“Antonio Brown was not hurt. I know he was faking,” Jones told Patrick. “Go back and look at the play. If you go back in slow-motion of the play you tell me — did Vontaze hit him in the head or did his shoulder pad barely touch him? I think he needs a Grammy award for that one.”

Brock Osweiler (17) of the Denver Broncos takes the field before the game. The Denver Broncos played the Cincinnati Bengals at Sports Authority Field at Mile High in Denver on Dec. 28, 2015. (AAron Ontiveroz, The Denver Post)

Nielsen showed the game averaged a 9.4 U.S. rating and 15.81 million viewers.

The game peaked between 9:30 and 9:45 p.m., around the start of the overtime period, in which Brandon McManus made the game-winning field goal. That 15-minute slot delivered a 11.2 rating and 18.580 million viewers.

In Denver, the game delivered a 17.7 rating on ESPN and a 24.3 on KTVD for a combined 42.0 in the market.

Denver finished the year as the No. 3 MNF market with a 12.3 average rating, behind only Las Vegas (14.0) and New Orleans (13.0).

Broncos defensive end Malik Jackson was called for a face-mask penalty in the third quarter against the Bengals. (Eric Lutzens, The Denver Post)

In the third quarter, on a Bengals first-and-10 at their own 17-yard line, AJ McCarron was sacked by Malik Jackson for a loss of one yard. McCarron stood up looking for a face-mask penalty, but no flag was thrown.

After more than 25 seconds, referee Ed Hochuli finally threw the flag, sending Broncos coach Gary Kubiak into a rage on the sideline.

Some believed Hochuli was alerted by replay officials, after the play was re-aired by ESPN, a violation of the league’s rules.

For those asking about the facemask, the input had to come from somewhere else. Had to be replay and it is not reviewable.

Kubiak was asked about it Tuesday, and he came to the defense of Hochuli, despite being visibly angered during the game.

“Yeah, that was interesting,” Kubiak said. “I can’t speak for the league. I don’t know. I know it happened very late. There was a facemask on the play. There is no doubt about that, but yet there was no flag and you’re almost to the next play and here it comes. There are some things going on differently in how games are being viewed and people that are involved in situations and those type of things. That just looks like one of those situations that took place. Ed was very honest with me and said that he got late information but he thinks it was right. It’s kind of hard to argue with that. I know they’re trying to do the best job they can.

“I don’t know that I know exactly how late they can throw (a flag). I know there is a lot of communication going on around the league from the league office, the officials, from New York, whatever. I know that has changed. Those guys get a lot of information as the game goes on. Anytime it is ‘the game,’ the Monday Night game, all the help is coming at one direction, not like a normal Sunday where there is 14 or 15 football games. That’s a little bit different, but I think I do understand they’re trying to get right.”

Demaryius Thomas (88) of the Denver Broncos in the fourth quarter. The Denver Broncos played the Cincinnati Bengals at Sports Authority Field at Mile High in Denver on Dec. 28, 2015. (AAron Ontiveroz, The Denver Post)

Anderson’s run pumped life into team. CJ Anderson’s sprint through the line and snap-cut to the outside for a 39-yard, go-ahead touchdown in the third quarter more than tripled his yardage total to that point. And it gave the Broncos some life with some very much needed running prowess. Anderson had just 12 yards on three rushes before the game-turning run.

Tackling machine. Inside linebacker Danny Trevathan quietly held together Denver’s defense. He nabbed a game-high 10 combined tackles in the first half, more than twice as many as the next nearest player for either team.

Playing it safe. He might not light up your fantasy league, but Brock Osweiler continues to not mess up. He threw only four interceptions in his six previous games and had a clean sheet through three quarters Monday.

WORSTS

Slow first half. Maybe the Broncos heard so much chatter about their second-half ineptness in December that they forgot about the first half. The Bengals dominated it. They ran more than twice as many plays (38 to 16) for nearly three times as much possession (21:14 to 8:46).

Balance bad. Chicken or the egg? Couldn’t set up the pass because the run game stalled? Or vice versa? The Broncos gained only 16 yards on the ground before halftime. And Brock Osweiler threw for a slim 89 yards.

D.T. struggles. Demaryius Thomas, the Broncos’ No. 1 receiver, was a ghost again, with only two catches on four targets in the first half. He had five catches last week at Pittsburgh, his worst showing since catching four passes total in back-to-back games against the Bears and Patriots in November.

Grades

Offense: B-
With little time to work in the first half, the Broncos recorded only 89 net yards and failed to find the end zone in the first 30 minutes. Their scoring woes ended with an 8-yard touchdown catch by Emmanuel Sanders in the third quarter and a 39-yard rushing touchdown by C.J. Anderson in the fourth. Brock Osweiler finished 27-of-39 for 299 yards, one touchdown and three sacks.

Defense: A-
The defense’s challenge was obvious on the opening drive, when the Bengals marched 80 yards on a 15-play scoring drive, the longest against the Broncos this season. In the first half alone, Cincinnati amassed 204 net yards and went 7-of-8 on third downs. Things changed in the final three periods (overtime included) as the Bengals picked up only 90 net yards and DeMarcus Ware sealed the victory with his fumble recovery.

Special teams: B
Britton Colquitt’s first punt, in the first quarter, was returned only 1 yard, thanks to a big tackle by Shaquil Barrett. Kayvon Webster delivered another big special-teams tackle in the fourth quarter that resulted in a loss of 3 yards on a punt return for Cincinnati. All told, the Broncos allowed an average of 7 yards on kick and punt returns. Brandon McManus’ badly missed a 45-yard field-goal attempt in the fourth, but he recovered to make 37-yarder in OT.

Coaching: B-
Much of the talk coming out of Dove Valley the past few weeks was about the Broncos’ second-half offensive struggles. The script was flipped Monday when the defense appeared unprepared for the Bengals in the first half and the Denver offense came alive in the second, punching the Broncos’ ticket to the postseason.

Game balls

Emmanuel Sanders. He caught a 35-yard pass in the first half to reach 1,000 receiving yards on the season, then caught an 8-yard touchdown pass for the Broncos’ first third-quarter points since Nov. 8.

DeMarcus Ware. His fumble recovery on a Bengals second-and-10 in overtime sealed the Broncos’ victory.

Brock Osweiler (17) of the Denver Broncos scrambles out of the pocket in the first quarter. The Denver Broncos played the Cincinnati Bengals at Sports Authority Field at Mile High in Denver on Dec. 28, 2015. (AAron Ontiveroz, The Denver Post)

It’s been rough for the Broncos’ offense in the first half against the Cincinnati Bengals, to say the least.

But late in the second quarter, quarterback Brock Osweiler was able to connect on a 35-yard pass to Emmanuel Sanders to put the Broncos in striking distance.

In this Sunday, Dec. 6, 2015. file photo, Kansas City Chiefs quarterback AlexSmith (11) passes against the Oakland Raiders during the first half of an NFL football game in Oakland, Calif. (Ben Margot, The Associated Press)

Spotlight on … Alex Smith, QB, Kansas City Chiefs

When: The Kansas City Chiefs host the Cleveland Browns with an AFC West title within reach.

What’s up: No NFL team since the 1970 Cincinnati Bengals has started 1-5 and made the playoffs. The Chiefs figure to be a No. 3 or No. 5 seed, a remarkable achievement that can be traced to the strong play of Alex Smith. Yes, he answers to “Captain Checkdown,” a backhanded compliment about his game manager status. He boasts 12 touchdowns and one interception in his last 11 games. This is nothing new. He owns the NFL’s lowest interception percentage since 2011.

Carolina Panthers’ Cam Newton (1) celebrates his touchdown pass against the Green Bay Packers in the first half of an NFL football game in Charlotte, N.C., Sunday, Nov. 8, 2015. (Mike McCarn, The Associated Press)

Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (12) of the celebrates with Randall Cobb (18) and James Jones (89) after scoring against the Kansas City Chiefs in the third quarter at Lambeau Field on Sept. 28, 2015 in Green Bay, Wis. (Jonathan Daniel, Getty Images)

THREE UP

1. Patriots: Coach Bill Belichick unearths treasure in Dion Lewis, a forgotten player. The running back creates problems in space and has a nose for the end zone. Has scored a TD in three consecutive games.

2. Packers: Wide receiver Randall Cobb runs hot at home with with TDs in his past five games. He also owns six scores in past five games against AFC teams.

3. Bengals: There will be suspicion about the Bengals until they win their first playoff game since 1991. But they are a legit contender.

New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady (12) looks into the crowd after giving his team a 27-7 lead with a touchdown pass to Shane Vereen (34) against the Denver Broncos during the second quarter of action at Gillette Stadium. (AAron Ontiveroz, The Denver Post)

THREE UP

1. Patriots: Forgot slot receivers. Julian Edelman is great by any standard. He has scored 10 TDs in past nine games counting the playoffs.

2. Packers: RB Eddie Lacy is good for 85 to 90 yards per game from scrimmage, balance that makes Aaron Rodgers more dangerous.

3. Bengals: They haven’t won a playoff game since 1991. But this team is built like a championship contender. Andy Dalton, yes, Andy Dalton is the league’s top-ranked quarterback. Team looking for first 5-0 start since 1988.

Garrett Grayson throws during his pro day at CSU on Monday. (Jenny Sparks, Loveland Reporter-Herald)

Colorado State quarterback Garrett Grayson, whom many NFL analysts have rated among the top five QB prospects in this year’s draft, worked out for 16 scouts from 12 NFL teams at CSU’s indoor practice facility on Monday during his pro day.

According to The Coloradoan’s Kelly Lyell, the Cleveland Browns and Green Bay Packers both had two scouts attending Grayson’s workout, while the Denver Broncos, Buffalo Bills, Cincinnati Bengals, Detroit Lions, Miami Dolphins, Minnesota Vikings, Oakland Raiders, New York Jets and St. Louis Rams also had scouts there.

Grayson, who didn’t participate in the NFL combine in Indianapolis last month because of an injured hamstring, completed 70 of 74 throws and, according to Lyell, posted unofficial 40-yard dash times of 4.72 and 4.76. Gray’s 40 times would have placed him seventh among quarterbacks at the combine; Marcus Mariota of Oregon posted a combine-best time of 4.52 among quarterbacks.

“There was some people out there that said I’d be lucky to run a 5-flat (40),” Grayson said. “I’m happy with what I ran. Like I said, quarterbacks don’t get paid to run 40s. I don’t know how many 40s Tom Brady has ran, but he’s won four Super Bowls.”

Peyton Manning was tops on the NFL Players Sales List for the third quarter of 2014. (John Leyba, The Denver Post)

You could argue that Peyton Manning’s play slipped in the latter half of last season. You could argue that, at 38, his so-called window has closed. But what you can’t dispute is that Manning, just being Manning, is a money-maker. The numbers speak for themselves.

The Broncos’ quarterback reclaimed the No. 1 spot from Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson on the NFL Players Inc. Top 50 Player Sales List for the third fiscal quarter of 2014, a list based on total sales of all officially licensed products from Sept. 1-Nov. 30, 2014. Wilson, Colin Kaepernick, Dez Bryant and Tom Brady rounded out the top five, while Demaryius Thomas, the only other Bronco on the list, came in at No. 45.

Manning outsold all players in Fatheads, bobbleheads and Nike game jerseys, and based on this ranking, we’re guessing John Elway isn’t the only one who wants Manning to return in 2015.

No doubt a bit fatigued after going through five long head coach interviews with four teams, Teryl Austin notified the Broncos Thursday night he would respectfully decline the opportunity to discuss their head coaching job.

Austin, a long-time position coach until he had a tremendous first season as defensive coordinator for the Detroit Lions, previously interviewed with the Atlanta Falcons, Buffalo Bills, Chicago Bears and San Francisco 49ers.

He had a second interview Thursday with the Falcons that lasted seven or eight hours. Austin and Seattle defensive coordinator Dan Quinn are considered the two finalists for the Falcons’ job.

The Broncos fell to the Bengals, 37-28, in Cincinnati as Peyton Manning threw four interceptions and the Broncos as a whole looked listless. Here were the notable and not-so-notable moments from the Denver loss.

BESTS

Talib with TD: Aqib Talib scored his second touchdown, rambling 33 yards after a diving first-quarter interception. He grabbed a pass tipped by receiver A.J. Green. The bad news? It was the Broncos’ best play in the first half.

Bolden big time: Omar Bolden breathed life into the Broncos with a 77-yard kickoff return to open the second half. Bolden has provided a boost on returns after the pedestrian performance by Andre Caldwell.

Fullback duty: Ben Garland, an offensive guard, found a role in the back field. He served as a fullback and lead blocker on C.J. Anderson’s third-quarter touchdown run.

WORSTS

Hill of means: Jeremy Hill remains a rookie-of-the-year candidate. He turned the Broncos’ defense into traffic cones, eclipsing 100 yards rushing in the first half. His 85-yard touchdown run represented the second-longest against the Broncos.

Third-string problems: Weakside linebacker Todd Davis, a waiver-wire claim from the Saints, is a great story, but he wasn’t ready for prime-time, missing multiple tackles.

Ward injured: T.J. Ward delivered a hard hit in the fourth-quarter and walked off the field with help from trainers after suffering a neck injury.Read more…

The Broncos received a scare with a little more than eight minutes left in the fourth quarter as safety T.J. Ward struggled to get up after a tackle.

Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton shoveled a two-yard pass to Giovani Bernard, who was brought down by Ward at the Broncos’ 5-yard line. As Ward went in for the tackle, his neck appeared to snap back against Bernard’s leg.

Bernard easily got up after the tackle, but Ward stayed down, barely moving. His teammates, as well as Bengals players, circled around him on one knee as the team’s trainers came out to tend to him as he lay on the field.

Will the Broncos make the Super Bowl? Benjamin Hochman and Joan Niesen both seem to think so. (Joe Amon, The Denver Post)

Guess what! The NFL playoffs are a mere day away, despite the fact that the Broncos have to wait another week to finally take the field against the Colts, Chiefs or Chargers.

In that festive playoff spirit, the esteemed Mr. Benjamin Hochman and I have decided to engage in a playoff picks competition to see who’s better at predicting the most unpredictable of things. Here’s how it works: Every Friday of the playoffs, we will post our picks for the upcoming weekend. Each correctly picked winner will earn 1 point, and if either of us correctly picks the margin of victory, that’s worth 5 points. We also each put down early Super Bowl picks. Getting one Super Bowl team right earns 2 points, getting both earns 4, and getting both plus the winner correct earns 8. We’ll also re-pick the Super Bowl beforehand, with the same scoring system as the earlier rounds.

So follow along to find out which one of us is a bigger ignoramus. My vote’s on Hochman. I’ll post a scorecard every Monday to tally our results.

Nicki Jhabvala is a Broncos beat writer for The Denver Post. She was previously the digital news editor for sports. Before arriving in Denver, she spent five years at Sports Illustrated working primarily as its online NBA editor. She also spent two years as a home page editor at the New York Times.